This 1.1 hectare site has had a varied past and is subject to a number of constraints. As well as having a culverted watercourse running through its centre, the area has been within the site of a working colliery, a location for a cotton textile mill and subsequently used for light industrial use within the mill buildings. The mill building has relatively recently been demolished with some of the demolition materials being retained on site. Level changes across the site also present challenges in terms of ease of development.
These historic uses bring with them ground risks with regard to abandoned coal shafts and seams, ground contamination and riparian ownership issues in relation to management of the watercourse. However, we have worked closely with the client to convert these constraints to opportunities.
The proposals maximise the development potential of the site by reworking the site levels to minimise the requirement for highways structures, opening up and diverting the watercourse to form a feature for the site. These technically deliverable solutions offer a commercially viable proposition, which maximises the site capacity assessment for residential development.